Chronicles of the Resistance - Caretaker

by IntergalacticFlyingToast

After escaping the Advent mega-city of New Providence, a scientist buys his way into a resistance cell operating within the City-23 Contagion Zone. Hoping to avoid further contact with his former viper creations, the man is thrust into a role that could very well change his outlook on vipers, and force him to face a ghost from his past. (see tags inside)

15. A Promise Once Made

Staying Connected:

Curious about what goes on behind the scenes? Join me and other XCOM fanfiction authors in The Viper Pit Discord server: www.*discord.*gg / PBFpc4g (edited link to avoid fanfiction filters)

Chapter Specific Warning(s):

Danger noodle(s), premarital handholding

Opening Notes:

Another extended delay due to life being life and rewrites being rewrites. With it being the busy season at work, I'm doing my best to write whenever the chance presents itself. Regardless, we're now officially in the second act of the story, and there's still so much story to tell. With that said, I hope that the wait was worth it. Thanks, and be sure to...

Enjoy!

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XV: A Promise Once Made

Terminus: Cargo Docks (Home)

Oct-19th, 2034, 11:40

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The Pilot

The man awoke as a sash of green cut through his vision, leaving him enveloped in a thick, constricting haze. He attempted to fill a set of burning lungs with the ionized air left behind but soon found the weight of the world fall upon him, shackling him in place as darkness continued to slowly settle in. Failing to find any reprieve, he eventually released a broken plea for help, yet only blood was allowed to escape through the gaps in his teeth.

Everything hurt, but the threat of fire and brimstone compelled the man to punch his way into the heavens, creating pockets of light that shone onto his battered form. Another wave of blindness consumed him, however, the pressure on his chest soon fell away and he was lifted to his feet. His vision returned, allowing him to gaze upon a series of abandoned vehicles, scattered concrete, and twisted rebar.

He had been here before.

A harbinger's call blared in the distance, drawing his attention towards a pillar of flames that stood against a starless night. While it wasn't the penthouse from his memories, he knew it by name, however, it was the black mask and twin oceans living within them that ultimately caught his own.

The harbinger sounded again, yet this time taking the form of a foreigner's voice.

Cold.

Calculated.

Yet somehow disarming in nature.

And though he tried his best to shake free from its tendrils, he was left powerless to prevent it from slipping into the furthest trenches of his mind.

His attention was then lost on the wicked smile that fueled the flames. The azure eyes adopted a foreign hue, which the man attempted to tear away from, however, he suddenly found himself on the move, walking across shattered glass and spent casings and towards the outermost reaches of the parking ramp that should've been his tomb. He soon reached its edge, which guarded him against the murky abyss that had come to swallow the desolate streets below.

Yet still, he felt drawn to those foreign eyes, which held within them a malevolent tempest that was building towards something that he struggled to put into words. The flames suddenly shifted, displaying a wall of glyphs that glowed red against its black finish. There were hundreds of them and each proved unreadable to the human.

The harbinger sounded again and the fires gave way, but before he had the chance to gauge what lay in their place, his foundation collapsed and the black abyss took over. His attention then tilted skywards as the burning pillar drifted further and further away.

And in his final moments, he felt cold, so very, very cold.

The pilot crashed to the earth, causing the nerve endings in his body to fire as a calloused fist connected with the side of his face.

"Damnit!"

Rooker began to nurse a wounded cheek and looked around to determine where the blow had originated from, finding himself back inside the cockpit of his Advent dropship, which had apparently found its way back to the earth. He noted its dormant engines and the swell of outside chatter slowly transition into the deep caverns that yawned above their heads. The lever responsible for retracting the ship's bay doors served as additional confirmation as to the recovery team's fate.

Before he had a chance to investigate the matter further, another sharp jab forced his attention back to the other side of the crew cabin.

"Wha-what?"

Rooker quickly found himself staring down the heavy gaze of his superior officer, who awkwardly pivoted the rest of her body to face him and did her best to mask the discomfort that came with it.

"What the hell, Kat?!"

"We're here, Rooker, so stop…" Her blue eyes softened at his inability to drown out the pain. "I didn't hit you that hard, did I?"

The pilot massaged a sweltering jaw. "It hurts like a son-of-a-bitch, but no lasting damage, at least, I hope. Just…give me a tap on the shoulder next time, or something."

The captain relaxed. "Sorry, I'm still vexed about what we discussed earlier and thought that you were just ignoring me on purpose, again."

He removed his hand from a wounded cheek and smirked. "I only do that when you treat me as nothing more than a toy soldier."

Katarina raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And how should I be treating you, lieutenant?"

"Oh, I don't know…maybe like a human being and not some secondhand mutt that you kick on occasion to check that it hasn't keeled over due to lack of actual nourishment."

The captain matched his frown, failing to hide the rising annoyance in her own voice. "You do realize that it's your job to follow my orders? That's how the damn chain of command works, how it's always worked. Also, you and I both know that you earned that second title because of your own actions and overprotective nature around that oversized snake of yours. As far as I'm concerned, you've gotten off far too easy for the shit you've pulled over the years. And despite the heroics, the events of yesterday and this morning were no different."

Rooker didn't immediately respond, instead, he looked to the stuffed cobra still safely fastened to the nearby jump seat, who carried with him an innocent, fanged smile that matched his sister. His thoughts then drifted towards the lucid dream that had recently come to plague his memory.

"Maybe, maybe…"

"What? No added wry or anti-authoritarian remark? Come on, Rooker, where's the man that we all love to hate?"

He sighed and then turned back to address the woman that sat beside him. "Frankly, I'm just happy to be home. It's enough…for now anyways."

Kat's expression morphed into one of concern. "Hey, are you okay? You zoned out back there on the final stretch to Terminus. I know that we got hit hard, but we can't afford to have another pilot grounded and out for the count."

Rooker shifted his attention back to Julius.

"It's nothing. I was just hyper-focused on getting us back on the ground safely and…fulfilling another promise."

Kat locked the red and white plushie in her sights and rolled them afterwards. "Of course, the snake and the hound to be reunited once again, how fuckin poetic." She paused and then pushed herself out of her seat, hugging the edge of the cockpit as she slowly hobbled towards its exit. "Well, I for one have had enough of those damn snakes to last me a—"

The woman yelped after accidentally placing too much weight on her injured foot, compelling Rooker to grab hold of her nearest arm in an effort to support her, however, the action only earned him a hard push back into his seat.

"For the last time, Rooker. I don't need help from the likes of you…" Kat pulled down a raised sleeve, covering up the heavy burns and deep scars that marred its surface, "…or anyone else for that matter," she muttered and then departed the cabin, leaving him alone with Julius.

Rooker exhaled, dug out his vintage pocket watch, which had also survived his encounter with the ebony viper, and then ran a dirty thumb over its golden finish, which had slowly worn away over years of service under his care. "I believed the same…" He opened it briefly to appraise the cabin in the woods, "…and still do in some ways."

The man pocketed his watch, ran through an after-shutdown checklist, and then carefully unfastened the stuffed cobra from the jump seat. The added movement caused him to release a series of short winces as he was swiftly reminded of his own injuries. Rose was definitely going to call him out over his recklessness. Furthermore, a quick glance at the time made him keenly aware of his tardiness.

"Come, Julius. It's been far too long, and I'm sure that your sister isn't the only one who'll throw a hissy fit if we continue to dawdle."

With large plushie in hand, the pilot maneuvered himself out of the dropship and onto the second landing pad, which sat at the far edge of the cavern. An array of overhead lights washed pockets of the raised walkway with their pale gaze. Despite the added numbers in the more recent months, their output proved insufficient to illuminate the deeper parts of the cavern.

It was easy to forget how expansive the network of tunnels under the city actually were, given that much of it still remained unexplored due to the various cave-ins that the original owners chose to create to cover their retreat. Even today, it was strange to think that millions of people used to live on the surface, going about their days as if those stresses had any bearing on the world around them. However, in the end, they too transformed with the times, though, it was better not to think of the Lost in such a way.

Besides, ignoring the ugly truth made things simpler, cleaner, and easier to forget that the thing that was just gunned down likely lived a life that he was never fortunate enough to have. And though he'd come to loath those who placed their trust in the hands of Elders, he figured that many remained survivors with nowhere else to turn once XCOM collapsed from within. After all, heroes didn't exist anymore, just those who walked the line and those whose morality had long since crossed it.

"I can walk there myself, corporal!"

Rooker's thoughts were interrupted by further commotion at the entrance to the pad, where he witnessed Captain Fahlström stumble once more and then push herself off Corporal Feldspar's heavy frame, who tried and failed to assist the woman back to the security wing that still lied some distance away. Her remaining men flocked around her, alongside an additional set of security personnel, who now carried Lieutenant Simons in a stretcher.

"With all due respect, ma'am. You should get that checked out immediately. We can hold down the fort while you—"

"Are forced to sit on my ass and twiddle my thumbs in the infirmary. No corporal, as I've said before, it's just a simple sprain, and I've dealt with far worse during my time as a sweeper."

"Feldspar is right, you shouldn't continue to ignore an injury like that," Rooker cut in, maneuvering himself next to the larger man.

Fahlström narrowed her gaze. "As you're prone to do whenever you're servicing that giant viper of yours." She made sure to point out the wrappings around his head, which had been torn to shreds over the course of the morning, leaving a heavy gash exposed to the elements. Thankfully, she didn't press the matter further about Rose's most recent artwork.

"Huh? The corporal and I are merely suggesting that you—"

"I know damn well what you two are suggestion…" Katarina seethed as she moved to point an accusatory finger in their direction but was cut short by another shot of pain that forced her over the walkway's guardrail. Luckily, Feldspar was quick to act and pull the stubborn officer back to relative safety.

After taking a moment to catch her breath, the woman clamped down on the bridge of her nose and swallowed her pride. "Fine, but not until I deal with the fallout of this morning." Fahlström looked at him. "Since you're so inclined to help, give me a hand back to my office."

Rooker nodded his head and turned to Feldspar, who'd somehow managed to juggle a rifle in his hands amidst the chaos brought about by the woman beside them. He gave Julius a final inspection and then lifted the large plushie in front of the other man. "Would you mind holding onto Rose's little brother for me while I assist the captain?"

"Actually, I do mind," Feldspar stated as he backed off.

The caretaker's pulse quickened and a flash of anger decorated his face. "Care to elaborate as to why, corporal?"

Katarina gracelessly shifted herself to shield Feldspar from his impending wrath. "Rooker, I'm going to need you to drop—"

"It's fine, captain." He shifted his attention back up to Feldspar. "I'm just trying to understand why the corporal here wishes to distance himself from a stuffed animal."

Sure enough, the brawny man took another cautionary step away from Rose's miniature doppelganger, bumping into a large set of crates that came to block his escape. "Because it serves as a reminder of that scaled devil in the burning tower." Feldspar opened his mouth as if to elaborate further but appeared to swiftly shake the thought from his mind. "After taking some time to reflect before we arrived in the dropship, I wish to disassociate myself with their kind wherever possible, at least until I'm able to clear my head of that...monster."

Rooker's blood reached a boiling point. "Don't let what happened on the surface color your opinion of their kind! The one in front of you is completely harmless, just like his owner."

"Its owner. I'm sorry, Rooker, but we lost five of our own today and one yesterday thanks to their kind." Feldspar spat over the guardrail and then turned to the man being carried away in a stretcher. While Lieutenant Simons was pale as a ghost and appeared to be slipping in and out of consciousness, his gaze never left Rooker's. "We've all had some time to reflect, and in doing so, I find it harder and harder to sympathize with their kind. With that said, once news breaks of what occurred, you'll find that I'm not the only one who carries this sentiment."

"And if she's innocent?" Rooker pressed, tearing his eyes off the wounded pilot.

Feldspar looked down at him. "After today, it may not matter."

Rooker wanted nothing more than to shout at the man, to tell him that he was wrong and that Rose was in the right, but anger had long since left him and only exhaustion remained.

"You have every right to feel that way, corporal. But hasn't your time with Rose over the years meant nothing? Surely there's been positive interactions while you were stationed inside her enclosure?"

Feldspar scoffed. "I'd hardly call being tricked into the serpent's lair and being forced to read bedtime stories amidst a mountain of various stuffed animals a 'positive interaction.' Frankly, I'm glad that they transitioned us out of that enclosure afterwards. Also, I could barely stand to watch that thing eat," he finished with a shudder.

The caretaker massaged the delicate petals that lined Julius' hood and moved the serpent over his heart. In a moment of weakness, he looked to his captain for assistance, who remained uncharacteristically silent as well. However, the expression that she gave him after pulling out a set of bloody patches told him all that he needed to know.

"No. You're both wrong about her; Rose is nothing like that devil in the tower. She's the gentlest soul in all of Terminus, and I'm going to prove it to—"

"Rooker, just stop," Katarina interjected, putting the patches back into a side pocket of her armor and returning to the conversation with a cooler head. "Now is not the time to argue about who's right and who's wrong—that will come later once we've figured out how the hell all of this happened. And while my inquiry into the matter is far from over, I fear that there are bigger problems that need to be addressed before we deal with that unruly viper of yours."

"Such as?" Feldspar asked. "I was led to believe that we dealt with that monster once and for all."

The captain gave Rooker a knowing look before dispersing her other guards to the opposite end of the walkway and then addressing Feldspar with a hushed tone. "Can I rely on your discretion?"

"Of course, ma'am. I have no reason to spread wild tales like the merchants in the Switchyard."

Katarina nodded, balancing herself on the walkway's guardrail. "The lieutenant and I discussed the matter shortly after takeoff, and we believe that there may be larger forces at play. That viper was probably just the beginning, and it's now up to Terminus to determine the best course of action should Advent decide that we're truly worth the effort."

"Advent? Ma'am, you can't seriously be suggesting that—"

"It was bound to happen eventually, corporal." Rooker stepped in. "And after our latest refugee…onboarding, we may have finally kicked the hornet's nest. However, it's like Kata—the captain said, until we get our facts straight, none of this will be allowed to reach the ears of the general populace."

Feldspar gave him a confused expression. "Surely rumors will spread as they've done so with that crimson viper of yours? Furthermore, we've pulled back all of our sweepers since last night's attack; the people will want answers."

Captain Fahlström pushed herself off the guardrail and cautiously shifted her full weight back onto the walkway's grating, earning another pained wince for her efforts. "Which they will have and then some once we've investigated the matter further. Given all that has happened, we don't want another wave of hysteria on our hands. Furthermore, I've never known a viper to work alone, so there's bound to be breadcrumbs scattered throughout this mess."

"Then what happens now?" Feldspar asked as both men looked to their superior.

"We'll set up a meeting with the major in either the Eagles Nest or at a location of his choosing. However, before that time comes, I'd like to discuss the situation in my office with the remnants of our detachment. We're not out of the woods on this by a long shot, and I want all of my men to be on the same page."

Feldspar gazed across the walkway towards the other guards and the security wing on the opposite end of the cavern. All of them looked beaten and exhausted after their run-in with the ebony viper and the Lost. "Understood. However, again I'd ask that you'd allow one of us to assist you to your office."

The captain sighed. "Fine, but I'll have the lieutenant be the one to assist me to the entrance and then you can take over from there. I'd like to have a final word with him in private before we get the second half of this shit-filled day rolling."

"I…understand and will wait for you there. Ma'am." The burly man took a moment to shift his attention back and forth between them and then fully departed the pad, keeping his final thoughts to himself.

With Feldspar out of the picture, Katarina let out one final burst of air before throwing an arm over Rooker's body for support and assisting with the large plushie.

"You know, every time I see one of these damn things, it reminds me of how I've failed to remove them from Terminus." She made sure to give him an accusatory look.

"What reason would I have to foil your plans and allow their distribution to continue?" He chose to play dumb as they continued to make their way across the walkway.

"The same reason that you continue to smuggle in vast quantities of food from the outside and nearly get yourself killed in the process."

Though he always assumed that she knew, the jig was up as far as hiding his most recent contraband from her scrutiny.

"Despite everything that's happened in the past and in the last couple of days, I still care for her, Kat. She was born into this world alone and cut off from the rest of her kind, and…I just want to give her some morsel of comfort in her troubled life."

"I know, and I hate that you still do."

"Why?"

She forced them to stop so that she could look him directly in the eyes. "Because I wish that you'd put that kind of effort into other aspects of your life and into learning to live with your own kind."

"Again, she's nothing like the monster that you make her out to be. She's more human than you know, and if you'd only allow her to leave the containment cell and interact with—"

"You and I both know that that isn't possible. Maybe in the far past, but she's since chosen a side. Furthermore, she was genetically engineered to level entire resistance settlements. I will not be the one to release that kind of destruction on Terminus, even if she claims to harbor no such intentions. Why can't you just accept this as fact and that she'll never become what you want her to be?"

"Because I raised her and have been around her during the most vulnerable parts of her life. She may have been designed to kill, but she isn't a killer."

"Doctor Simons and his son would disagree with you."

The pneumatic hiss of a heavy door set in motion drew their attention across the cavern, where the set of guards who carried Lieutenant Simons stopped momentarily to allow for the door to swing past them. Even from this distance, the other pilot continued to stare back at them with a pale expression.

A father and brother lost in less than twenty-four hours, all thanks to the same alien race. While he sympathized with the man, he was all too familiar with how dangerous blind hatred could become. Hopefully, Lieutenant Simons would make a full recovery and learn to forgive with time.

"As I said, Rose would never intentionally harm anyone," he answered, trying to drown out the crimson confessions that she had laid on his lap the night before. "Unlike that viper in that penthouse, she's innocent of all charges."

Katarina forced them to stop once more. "Lying to yourself will not save her should the worst come to fruition."

"And the worst being in your eyes?"

The woman paused and looked to the darkness depths of the cavern before them. "Guilty of all charges, followed by an execution—public if the major wishes to display the firepower that we could bring to bear against such a creature."

Rooker allowed his previous anger to surface. "You know that I can't stand by and allow for that to happen," he hissed with caustic vitriol.

"You'll have no choice in the matter unless you wish to join her along the wall." Katarina sighed. "Though I've come to detest that crimson bitch, I don't want to see her drag you down with her. At some point, you're going to have to see the wisdom in my words, in all of our words. Also, she treats you like a piece of treasure to be hoarded away from the rest of the civilized world and has a very poor taste in perfume that—"

"She treats me better than you ever did," Rooker bit back hard, causing the woman to turn back to him with a raised eyebrow. However, the conceited expression on her face soon gave way to something else, which she hadn't allowed him to see in years.

"Maybe…"

The air around them soured as both parties fell silent and failed to look the other in the eye. Only the occasional protests of the metal grating beneath their feet were allowed to echo throughout the cargo docks. Finally, the blooming tension proved to be too much for the pilot.

"Look, Kat. I'm sorry and didn't mean to bring up old—"

"Stop, just…stop, please." The woman turned back to him, her blue eyes meeting his own. "We've all done things that we aren't proud of…" She looked down to the red and white serpent that they were currently sharing, each still bearing half the load due to its size, "…and have to learn to live with those mistakes."

Though fleeting, her response left him speechless, a fact that caused her to turn back with the smallest of smiles.

"Despite our faults, I do recall being pulled out of a pile of rubble, something about a destroyed sniper rifle, and a favor of sorts."

"Oh, uhm…yeah. But I'm guessing that you already know what I had in mind?" he replied.

The smile fell from her face. "While I do not approve, you did manage to pull all of our asses out of the fire…" She squeezed his opposite shoulder, "…and didn't choose to leave me behind in that collapsed parking garage. For that, I'll look the other way should a couple of pallets full of frozen patties decide to go missing and make their way into a certain containment cell."

"A couple? Wait. I mean...good, good." Rooker answered, looking ahead of them as they left the walkway's surface and continued towards the entrance of the security wing. "Thanks, I'm sure that your decision will make Rose's day. And a bit of good news will work wonders in the way of lifting her spirits."

Katarina sighed. "We can't keep doing this, Rooker."

"Doing what?"

"Pretending like you aren't taking advantage of both of our positions and the relationship that we used to have before, well…her."

Rooker laughed. "Are you finally acknowledging that you're jealous of her?"

"No, I'm finally realizing that the further down this rabbit hole we go, the less I'll be able to protect you from what's to come, should she be found guilty and the worst becomes...reality."

"Oh? Is that what you've been doing all of these years?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes," she replied in earnest. "Just…promise me that you'll keep that temper of yours in check while we're around my men. You're doing yourself and her a disservice by treating them with the same scorn that you constantly accuse them of. I needn't remind you of the saying that we use out here with regards to trust."

Rooker sighed. "No, I'm well aware at this point."

"Then earn their respect, otherwise you stand to lose far more than you'll ever gain."

Rooker initially failed to respond, instead looking towards the structure that was carved into the side of the rockface and guarded by the remnants of their extraction team, who acknowledged the pair as they approached its threshold. The pilot handed the captain off to Feldspar and took sole possession of the stuffed cobra, which he maneuvered back against his chest. With Julius safe and sound, he looked to the other officer.

"As long as you keep the one you made for me last night, I have no issues with honoring mine." The security chief nodded her head, causing the edges of his mouth to curl upwards. "So, what happens next, captain? While I do so miss the confines of a refrigerated cell, I have another promise to fulfill and would very much like to return her brother to her at this time."

Katarina's smile immediately disappeared. "With Lieutenant Simons confined to the infirmary until further notice, you're our only…able-bodied pilot, so as much as it pains me to admit, Rooker, you're worth keeping around until we sort this shit out. With that said, I'm assigning you an escort back to the containment labs. You'll return along the same route we used last night. From there, you'll be allowed back inside the viper's cell, where you will check on Adrian first and then your precious Rose, should time permit.

"Given all that has happened, we'll need to bring the doctor up to speed and guarantee that he can be trusted moving forward. Until you receive further orders, you will remain inside that enclosure, watch over Adrian, and ensure that he doesn't get himself into trouble. Can I trust you to fulfill these simple tasks while I tend to my men and get into contact with the major?"

Rooker held his smile and moved Julius' tail to the front of the serpent's hood as though it were a salute. "Aye, aye, captain."

The captain rolled her eyes before transferring a spare radio over to him. "Behave yourself, and do try to do a better job at guarding this communicator against friendly fire."

"I'll try my best, but I can't offer any promises."

The captain narrowed her eyes. "Uh-huh. Now do us all a favor and get that head of yours out of the clouds so we can get moving."

[—]

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Rooker felt the heavy door displace the granulated surface beneath him, once again locking him inside an enclosure that masqueraded as a jungle landscape. The heavier air and rush of water filled his eardrums with sweet serenity and placed a warm grin on his face. Though his body remained battered and his muscles still ached, at least he managed to make it back in one piece.

Admittedly, Rose's enclosure wasn't his first choice as far as offerings went after she was moved out of her first cell, but the scientists were determined to make his life as a newfound caretaker as difficult as possible. As for Rose, despite initially being afraid of heights, the thorn in his side loved to use the temple walls and accompanied pillars as climbing surfaces, pushing the muscles in her tail to their limit before getting scared and forcing the disgruntled human (him) to shimmy up the tall barriers and rescue her.

Over time, she became more confident in her ability to keep herself balanced and rappel back to the surface, surprising her caretaker at the most inopportune moments, at least for him. However, the little daredevil eventually met her match and gravity fulfilled the rest. Thankfully, only a broken arm and a bruised ego came at the cost of her childish mistake.

Afterwards, he made sure to set climbing restrictions and outfit her with what he could only describe as a heavily-modified, motorcycle helmet, as well as an array of protective padding that made her look like a slithering goofball, especially since she insisted that the old hotrod flames be painted over with a kaleidoscope of colorful flowers. Afterwards, she thought it funny to steal the can of spray-paint and turn it onto him, though temporary blindness on his part made her think twice about attempting such shenanigans. Nevertheless, the damn thing tended to compress her hood in an endearing fashion, which always drove her up a wall. In fact, she never ceased to complain when her soft petals got caught in the safety straps of her otherwise 'stupid' helmet.

As he continued to climb the gradient and dodge the labyrinth of tree roots that slowed his entry into the courtyard, Rooker couldn't help but laugh at the heartfelt memory. After all these years, he was pretty sure that he still had that very same helmet storied away somewhere in the observation wing, though today, the only use he could probably get out of it would be to embarrass her severely.

Rooker then came to pass under the great stone archway guarding the entrance to their living area.

As Rose grew older and succumbed to literary and…cinematographic influences, swimming replaced climbing alongside hide-and-seek and mock battles against the 'mighty viper,' a role that saw her put the 'grumpy human' in his place through endless bouts of wrestling and what he could only describe as medieval roleplay.

Funny enough, there was a stretch of time when Rose was fascinated by dragons and other mythical creatures that humanity brought to life in their stories. Of course, Rose also claimed that such activities were for the betterment of her personal development, and he soon found himself enjoying them alongside her, though he was often relegated to the role of knight-errant who happened across such magnificent creatures, which were always played by her. Sadly, such moments of confidence and personal triumph were short-lived, because her increased size soon proved overwhelming for the both of them, ending with her in tears and him with the broken arm.

Rooker flexed the muscles in his left arm, noting the murmurs of pain that continued to hamper his reaction times to this day.

He would probably never tell Rose the truth about the chronic injuries that resulted from their little wrestling incident. Hell, it took several months just to get her to stop apologizing about nearly crushing him to death with her bulky posterior, at least that's how his not-so-little book-snake tended to phrase it whenever she felt the need to remind him of her childish mistake. However, at that point, she had blossomed into the viper equivalent of a young adult, and the complications surrounding their relationship only grew alongside her.

Upon arrival, the pilot paused to admire the line of pillars still standing valiantly in the vacant courtyard, each dwarfing him by a significant margin. Though large, the top of Rose's hood now stood level with them, at least, all but one.

A far cry from when he first found her hood deep in a paper bag, intent on devouring an all too greasy burger with too many pickles on it.

A far cry from their first official hug after each adapted to living with the scars.

A far cry from when one of their routine games ended in disaster.

Rose's caretaker sighed as the memory resurfaced.

The carefree viper that he once knew suppressed herself beneath the waves that day, only surfacing on occasion with him powerless to keep such aspects of her personality adrift, which is why last night caught him so off guard and served as a beacon of hope that such facets of her character still lived somewhere deep within her.

Rooker tore his eyes off the bloody pillar and proceeded forward.

Yet new, far darker ones came to subsist there as well.

Nevertheless, as her body continued to develop, personal topics that they once talked about openly became unspoken taboos that left him as just another outsider. Furthermore, over time, he became too much of a coward to even dare shine a light back onto them, knowing full well that his light could never illuminate the deepest trenches of her life. And while she continued to express herself through her artwork and other methods that he willingly supplied for her, there were times when he felt as though the rift that had developed between them was now far too wide to rectify in either of their lifetimes.

His feet soon carried him across the rest of the courtyard and to a fork in the road. Directly ahead was an all too familiar block waterfall that spilled into a sizable basin. The rush of water filled his veins with renewed vigor, as his favorite viper was no doubt still confined to her room as he requested. However, looking back to the observation wing in the distance only served to remind him of what Kat had said earlier about the strange, little doctor that had come to be a thorn in his side.

The man exhaled at his continued use of the phrase.

"It appears as though history is in the midst of repeating itself," he murmured to himself.

While he still hadn't fully forgiven the other man for his verbal blunders against Rose the previous night, he was absolutely in the wrong for going after the doctor and would have to learn how to control his anger if he was ever going to convince Adrian to physically help her. And even though he was sure that there was more to this story than what Vahlen or even Adrian originally led him to believe, if the doctor truly intended to cut all ties with his former employer, then his initial set of reactions were genuine, the other viper's presence wasn't mere chance, and their work would truly be cut out for them.

The pilot directed his attention back to what had become known as the serpent's lair.

Nevertheless, Adrian was safe at the moment and wouldn't be going anywhere until he heard back from Katarina. Therefore, it wouldn't hurt to check on Rose first and then reconvene with Dr. Fairchild once his promise was fulfilled and she was fully situated. Though he needed to be absolutely sure that Adrian could be trusted moving forward, otherwise, he wanted the doctor as far away from Rose as possible.

Indecisiveness racked his brain as he shifted his attention down to the oversized plushie in his hands. Despite the chaos that had ensued back on the surface, Julius' red and white scales remained clear of the torrents of blood and grime that had been transferred onto the pilot.

Rose would surely address his superficial injuries like a mother hen if he neglected to freshen up first. And though a small part of him wanted her to play doctor again, he needed to continue distancing her from his troubles and his mistakes. After all, she'd been through enough these past twenty-four hours, and he was supposed to be the caretaker in their relationship, not the other way around.

But Rooker hesitated once more.

He also wanted to make sure that she was safe.

Furthermore, Rose tended to be a messy viper when she was left to take care of her room in his absence, but she always made sure that her brothers were well cared for and always present before bedtime stories rolled around. And though Rose had largely assumed that role over the past couple of months thanks to his frequent departures, last night saw him reading Amelia Bedelia out loud for their little viper pit once he returned from the observation wing and rectified his latest set of wrongdoings.

In the end, Rose would be distraught if Julius wasn't returned to her, and given Adrian's poor track record with maintaining the integrity of her belongings, he couldn't outright trust the doctor to keep the stuffed cobra out of harm's way. With that, the caretaker took a moment to run a comforting hand across the inside of the serpent's hood, though at the moment, he wasn't sure if it was for Julius or for himself.

The doctor could wait, because, at the moment, he needed to check on his Rose.

With a decision made, Rooker skirted the water's edge and made his way towards the entrance of the large cavern. Hoping to surprise Rose with his triumphant return, he quieted his footsteps and crossed the threshold unannounced, only to find the place in complete disarray.

Indeed, each of her tall bookcases was flipped over as though a heavy storm had rampaged through the area, their contents littered across the cold cavern alongside severed strings of bulbous, paper lanterns that once dotted its ceiling in colorful silhouettes. Paintings hung sideways and the signature mountain of pillows had since been blasted away in favor of scattered mounds of disheveled feathers.

Rose's caretaker placed a heavy hand on his forehead. The mess was impressive, even by her standards. Quelling his risen frustration and replacing it with concern, Rooker looked back up to find a collapsed structure in the distance—a pillow fortress built in a signature fashion.

Despite the destruction, he couldn't help but let the smallest of smiles slip through as another set of memories surfaced, one involving a bundle of scales refusing to allow the grumpy human into her 'queendom' unless he ceded to her demands and gave her the correct password or body gesture (which she tended to favor over the former), another involving them reading about her favorite historical figures under the protective glow of a single lantern within what came to be known as their 'fortress of friendship,' and another one where she decided that—Rooker immediately suppressed the final memory, choosing instead to inspect one of the undamaged lanterns, which he brought with him as he continued towards the mound of pillows.

It didn't take long for him to happen across a couple of large easels that were purpose-built for Rose, who was always extremely protective of her art supplies. However, the stands were now left on their side alongside a set of sketchpads, whose drawings remained obscured from view. Interestingly enough, upon further inspection, she had neglected to share with him the existence of these two pads, a fact which tempted him with the notion of turning them over and revealing just what secrets existed on the other side. Looking to do just that, the caretaker set down his paper lantern in favor of better handling Julius, however, another serpentine form drew his attention away from Rose's personal sketches.

"No…"

Before him rested the remains of a red and white plushie that had been squished against the ground like an overdone pancake. His once colorful scales were ripped apart as though a pack of wolves had laid claim to his life, and a pair of sharpened eyes had fallen dormant against the vacant light that shone through the cracks littered throughout the cave.

On instinct, Rose's caretaker moved to shield Julius' eyes from his fallen brother, who at first glance appeared to be David. Rooker attempted to transfer the deceased serpent into one of the stray blankets stemming from a nearby mound but was prevented from doing so by discovering that his first choice was drenched in a foreign substance.

"What in the hell?"

Upon further inspection, the rest of the mound was also drowning in a pool of it. It was almost as if...the man pushed the dangerous thought to the back of his mind for now.

Rooker eventually managed to obscure the damaged plushie in a blanket from a separate pile. Afterwards, he placed David in one of the hidden alcoves for later extraction—it would seem that a trip to the Switchyard was in order. Though he was still lost as to the cause for David's untimely death, he knew full well that Rose would respond unfavorably to seeing her brother in such a state. Clearly, something was amiss, and he needed to get his facts straight from the source.

With that, he shifted his attention towards the far end of the cavern, finding a long tail wind itself around the very same boulder that he sat upon yesterday. Its owner remained propped up against the wall with her twin-fanged maw hung open and a forked tongue lolled out in a rather unflattering fashion. While her large sail hung limp, a massive torso wrapped in an undersized blanket rhythmically expanded and contracted as the serpent continued through her deep slumber.

"Rose?"

While his voice echoed throughout their home, the viper failed to respond, at least outside of a series of low-pitch burbles, which didn't surprise him, considering she tended to sleep like the very same rock that she was currently constricting in earnest, so it would take more than a little bit of shouting or a strong kick to the tail to pull the sleeping giant from her slumber.

After a quick sigh of relief over the fact that she remained unharmed, Rooker moved to place Julius on his designated shelf alongside Fangus, who also appeared to have managed to weather the morning storm. He disposed of his boots, took off his combat gloves, and then rolled up his sleeves, knowing full well that he'd have to scale the crimson mountain to get her to stir once more. In the more recent years, she was always embarrassed about him using her body as a vehicle to communicate, though she wasn't giving him many options thanks to how high she had positioned it against the cavern wall.

Now sufficiently prepared for the task at hand, Rooker made his way towards the winding appendage that would've stood at approximately shoulder height if he were to stand at its thickest section. Even though he was more than capable of maneuvering himself up the larger portions of her body, he figured that the end of Rose's tail would offer him a convenient walkway for which to reach her upper torso.

Finding his footing, the human began his slow ascent, noting the glossy, milk-white scales that covered Rose's sleek underside, the largest of which reached about the size of his open hand, which was certainly on the smaller side, much like the rest of him really, but still paid tribute to just how large his slithering goofball had become.

The pilot allowed himself a fleeting moment to admire the malleable sensation of his bare skin against a section of scales that would likely stop most forms of conventional weaponry. Though surprisingly comfortable, his footfalls were soon allowed to settle, and he was quickly reminded of the additional layers of tightly packed muscle that served as its foundation. He then looked back to the spot where David had been flattened out of existence.

At this point in her life, it would be so easy for Rose to do the same to him.

Shaking off the second hazardous thought, Rooker carefully hobbled his way up the ever-thickening tail and towards the boulder trapped within her red and white coils. Through it all, he internally counted each step taken, easily passing thirty before officially arriving at his first obstacle, which he immediately attempted to hoist himself over. However, he misjudged his forward momentum and immediately toppled over the ocean of scales and into the valley formed across the boulder's upper surface. While he recovered unharmed, Rose's coils responded accordingly, experimentally brushing against his lower torso before deciding that it was a worthwhile trade compared to the cold rock.

"Damn it, Rose…" Rooker cursed, pushing against the tightening barrier, whose owner reacted with a dopey smile after retracting her forked tongue and releasing a monumental sigh. Despite the gentle warmth that threatened to overtake him, the man proceeded to push against her scaly clutches, only achieving success after giving the hefty barrier an equally hefty wallop, which earned him an attempt at freedom and a husky giggle from on high. The sleepy serpent then made another attempt to maximize surface contact between the two, however, Rooker acted quicker, jumping headfirst onto a second set of coils and straddling it in the hopes of riding out the waves. Fortunately for him, the crimson ocean soon steadied and allowed him to find his footing but not before releasing another round of low-pitched chortles.

"Laugh it up, goofball," Rooker muttered through heated cheeks. "Just wait until I find that old helmet of yours…"

Thoroughly distracted, the pilot stumbled once more, careening off the elevated section of tail and gracelessly faceplanting onto an even thicker portion, which absorbed his added weight as though it were made of memory foam.

The pilot lifted his face off the pliable surface, only to find himself face-to-face with the twin rows of chiseled stones serving as Rose's abdominal section, the muscles within hardened upon registering the fact that he had instinctively reached out to one of them for safety. Naturally, the slithering giant reacted with another tremor that forced him back against her ticklish body, which was now a furnace that fuel the fire captured by his own cheeks.

Putting two and two together, the man hastily struggled to right himself, a fact made even harder thanks to Rose's seismic activity. Though the human eventually won the battle, the viper won the war as she allowed her upper torso to shift off the wall and carry them both against another boulder. Again, his scarred face met white and crimson, and again, he was forced to rely on a set of all too generous hips for leverage as he maneuvered himself back to his feet.

"Rose…you've turned…into a goddamn…jungle gym…" He managed to mutter between a series of tired breaths.

Thankfully, Rose's only response to his claim came in the form of an endearing warble that once again placed a derpy, fanged smile on her maw as she further shifted her enormous body against its newfound support.

After finally managing to return air to his lungs, Rooker took a moment to adjust the veiled wrappings that protected the wound on her hip, which rewarded him with a string of incoherent protests before a soft coo suggested that his corrections had rectified her discomfort. However, as he moved to pull his hand away, a palm far larger than any dinner plate forced him into a seated position while a long set of daggers idly scratched at the thicker scales lining her waist. Rose's appraisal of his handiwork eventually ceased, but the itchy viper once again sought out his warmth, pinning his entire hand beneath her own with a content sigh.

Rooker couldn't help but laugh as a result of his continued struggles. "You just can't let me go, can you?" He shrugged and pulled his knees to his chest, figuring that he deserved a quick rest. Once settled, he took the opportunity to admire the crimson landscape that he had managed to traverse so far.

He figured that the average, stock-standard viper measured around eighteen feet, and knew that Rose was likely intended to be twice that, however, her unique genetics made it such that she had surpassed that estimate and then some. Though large, he also knew from Adrian's papers that she had the potential to keep growing throughout the remainder of her lifespan.

Even today, it still seemed utterly ridiculous to imagine her in a state far larger than she currently was, perhaps such thoughts now centered around a viper capable of moving about the surface with coils thick enough to block entire alleyways, palms large enough to carry small vehicles in them, and a head that would stand level with even some of the taller buildings. Impossible metrics as far as this world was concerned, but then again, Rose was not entirely of this world and likely came as the pinnacle of genetic tampering.

Regardless, he was sure that if she had neglected to utilize the inhibitors over the past few years, she would've struggled to move around her enclosure by now. And while it made sense as to why her kind was supposed to be extremely short-lived, and he hated the Elders for what they ultimately did to her, there was still a small part of him who was enraptured by their ability to seemingly defy the laws of nature to create immensely powerful beings such as her, and…who was at least a little curious to see just how far their insanity went.

He then imagined the hell that she could unleash on Advent if she were allowed to become such a size.

No.

Never.

Anyone but her.

As the rational side of his brain took over, Rose's caretaker shifted his attention from the mammoth hand that held him in place all the way up to her content expression. In truth, her normal, gentle demeanor wouldn't allow for her to act in such a way. Hell, her initial set of reactions to toppling a building would probably proceed as follows: immediately break out into a panic, attempt to right the building using her tail, fail at the task and cause further damage out of excessive nervousness, apologize profusely to anything and everyone in a five-mile radius, and then cry if someone happened to refuse her heartfelt apology.

He shifted a comforting hand onto hers, noting the difference in scale but still likening her to the little bundle of red and white that once sat upon his lap and actively sought out his embrace.

Indeed, Rose had suffered enough. And even though it had come to be a sad, quiet home, it was ultimately theirs, and he'd be damned if he allowed anyone to take it from them or use her in such a manner.

Another powerful quake broke his train of thought, yet this time it originated from within her core and resonated in a signature protest. While there was no question that she was a big girl, her unique genetics and reduced metabolism had made their lives a little easier when it came to keeping her topped off, granted when Rose did eat, she gorged by the pallet load.

The thought served to place a smile on his own face and compelled the human to gently pat one of the hardened stones beside him.

"Don't worry, girl. I have a surprise for you once we get that body of yours in motion."

He made an attempt to slip free from her hold, however, the sleepy serpent had other plans as he quickly found himself being airlifted towards the heavens. Despite initially clearing him over a pair of blanketed blimps, relief turned into panic as her hand course corrected and compressed him against a beating heart, which rocked his core and sent his own into an uncharacteristic flutter.

Yet he refused to take advantage of her in such a way and frantically looked to abort his mission.

"Rose, it's Rooker. I need you to please wake up and set me back—mmph!"

The giant serpent repeated the motion a second time, smothering him throughout her subconsciousness and coming away with more beet than man as his face shifted to match her crimson scales. Though she often compared herself—against his wishes—to influential women from her 'studies,' as far as he was concerned, even Pamela Anderson would come away green with envy at the set of assets that this viper had at her disposal, which despite now surpassing even that of a fully-inflated exercise ball, fit her large frame flawlessly and refused to stand idle behind their embroidered veil, which contained a decorative display of carefully crafted roses.

Unfortunately for him, the viper's reign of terror continued, forcing Rooker to latch onto a muscular neck as a means to escape her cuddles. However, again Rose pulled him into her gravity well with a tender coo and a trailing broken tune that he failed to put into words. She also made sure to hold him back against her heart before lifting him in front of an expecting maw, which separated and produced a pronged tongue that savored the air around him.

"No…no-no-no-no. Rose…don't you dare even think about giving me a—"

The caretaker's protests fell on deaf ears as the tongue retreated and a pair of scaled lips took its place, producing an incredible amount of suction. The mismatch in size also meant that the entire left side of his face was drenched in a thick coat of saliva, which stuck to his ebony beard in huge globs and were eventually siphoned away by a powerful tongue.

"Damn it…"

Admittedly, Rose still retained a few childhood habits like administering goodnight kisses to her brothers after story time, which now apparently applied to him since she was clearly mistaking him for one of them. The immense suction soon ceased but was quickly followed up with a series of careful nuzzles, which guided him into the larger petals of her hood and finally sent him into a frenzy.

Luckily, his struggles were soon answered as the sharp talons lining his side pulled him back to safety. A forked appendage appeared once more to rhythmically inspect the air around him. However, as her eyes were forced into a flutter, Rooker was quickly reminded of the state of the room and the fact that he still carried with him the stench of the surface and the blood that came with it.

Red then gave way to white as the color drained from his face.

"Shit…"

Sure enough, the reptilian slits that came to form within a sea of red entered supernova and their owner released a high-pitched trill, which he had long since attributed to his name. Though Rose's mask of scales initially shifted into one of confusion, it soon morphed into one of profound embarrassment, and then finally settled on unmistakable horror once she allowed herself a hasty inspection of her room. In the end, Rose was quick to release him to the surface and shrink herself in a feebled attempt to address the comparably tiny human at eye level with a sail drooped to its lowest point.

[ I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm very, very sorry! After everything that happened, I didn't know what to do and panicked. Afterwards, I made everything worse by taking you hostage, refusing to elaborate, and then allowing the thoughts inside my head to use you like a, like a, like a… ]

The viper paused to look him over before closing her eyes, no doubt battering down the floodgates in anticipation of his response. However, unfortunately for her, Rooker chose to play dumb.

"Like a what, Rose?"

The reptilian slits reemerged and the timid serpent looked towards the sketchpads on the ground, clasping her hands behind her back and swaying side to side, apparently now too afraid to finish the sentence herself.

The human sighed at her continued resignation. After all, gone was the confident viper from this morning, who stood her ground against Katarina and refused to allow him to leave unless Julius came along as well. Of course, he was also meant to return to her safely with plushie in hand after their short hostage negotiation, though it appeared as though she was now referring to something else.

"Like a stuffed animal?" he offered.

Rose pivoted her snout back in his direction with enough force to give a human irreversible whiplash. She then tilted her head to the side and gave him a raised eye ridge.

[ What do you…don't you mean that—Oh. I mean, yes! Wait. Please…uhm, elaborate on exactly what you think that I did, specifically involving the two of us…together. Yeah... ]

She failed to hide another glance at the set of easels nearby before tracing her gaze back to him. A concerned look remained plastered across her maw alongside the usual nervous impulses.

"Well…" Rooker hesitated, realizing that he actually had no idea how to phrase his answer. As he mentioned before, interspecies 'goodnight kisses' had been officially banned from the premise per her request since the fallout of the dreaded wrestling incident, granted she was the one who had twisted his arm to have them implemented in the first place. Luckily, the recent uptick in the number of hugs that she liked to dish out did offer him a way out of his conundrum. "I guess you gave me a big hug and then decided to rub up against the side of my face, much in the same manner that you do with Julius and Dav—Fangus."

[ With just my snout, right?! ]

Now it was the human's turn to give the frantic viper a questioning gaze. Rose was definitely beating around the bush on something, and the fact that she hadn't yet addressed the state of her room deeply concerned him, however, he figured a little friendly banter couldn't hurt as far as slowly easing her towards that point.

"Uhhhh, yeah. The last time I checked, that's how nuzzling works. I mean, what else would a viper even use?" Rooker rubbed his scarred cheek in thought and then stuck out his tongue in a lighthearted fashion as the memory resurfaced. "Not trying to invent new gestures that'll confuse the human and grant entry into your queendom again, are we?"

[ What?! No! I mean…don't be ridiculous, Rooker. I uhhh…meant to ask for clarification as to whether I hurt you while I…went about my business. ]

"Hurt me while you slept? Ha! Rose, all your subconscious self did was mistake me for one of your brothers. You were actually quite gentle, even when I attempted to wake you up after I returned from the—"

[ Have you gone blind again? It doesn't matter that I was gentle, I still ignored all reason and then decided to—wait. I was asleep when you returned? ]

"Yep."

[ And I didn't actually hold you hostage? ]

"Aside from this morning with the captain, not as far as I'm aware."

[ And you weren't scared to be in my presence? ]

"No more than I am now, so I'm afraid that the bogeyviper and probably even the wereviper has you beat in terms of overall scare-factor."

[ Or forced to do…something against your will? ]

"Not unless you consider premarital handholding and hugs as chargeable offenses, officer."

Rose's gaze narrowed.

[ Not funny, Rooker. This isn't a game. And if what you said is true, you could've been seriously hurt by trying to wake me up outside of my bed. We had it specifically designed for that reason and— ]

"And let sleeping serpents lie? Given your track record, you'd be unreachable for the next twelve hours, at least."

The viper frowned at the mere mention of her lopsided sleep schedule.

[ I've never slept in that long. Now you're just making things up. ]

"Like you've never sleep-slithered before either?"

[ That…was one time, and I was much smaller back then. Also, I'd rather just forget about it, much like this entire morning really... ]

"Well, that makes only one of us, because it was absolutely adorable witnessing the exact moment that a certain adolescent viper realized that she was thisss close to flushing her favorite blankie down the toilet."

He made sure to hold two fingers close together to emphasize the fact, producing a sharp whine from the viper who was caught in the middle.

[ It had sentimental value, and was one of the first gifts that you gave me from the outside. Also, I'm not adorable! Can we please just discuss another topic? ]

"Are too, especially when you make the cutest little burbles and bleps while you sleep."

His answer had the desired effect as the giant viper turned into a bashful puddle of scales, covering her face and recovering only after the ghost of a blush across its surface was allowed to sufficiently cool off.

[ R-Regardless, I could've turned over in my sleep and crushed you under my bulky posterior. Haven't you learned your lesson from the last time this occurred? What you did was stupid, reckless, and could've ended in another disaster. ]

Rose made sure to let out a distasteful hiss.

[ I knew that it was a mistake letting you leave with her. ]

Rooker ignored the mention of Katarina and shrugged, failing to hide a growing smile over her selective word choice. "But it didn't, and even if the base of your tail made such a cruel attempt on my life, I'd use my unmatched human prowess to dodge out of its way."

He made an attempt to demonstrate his remarkable agility by dashing to the side, however, the added strain quickly brought him up to speed on his earlier injuries, resulting in an unwelcomed wince and a line of red that trickled down the side of his face. He tried to play it off, pulling a bloody hand out of view. "Besides, I wanted to know that you were safe before heading back to the observation wing to check on everyone's favorite doc—"

Rose never gave him the chance to finish, instead she scooped him up like a flustered child and placed him on the end of her tail. Meanwhile, the hyper-focused viper began to scour her home for something, raining down books, blankets, and anything else that happened to get in her way. While she was no doubt intending to assist him on the matter, she was also creating even more clutter for them to clean up.

Rooker opened his mouth to chastise the messy viper but stopped after noting how the slithering appendage that he rode upon paid special attention to the pair of sketchpads as it passed next to them, brushing them towards an unlighted corner of the room. Again, Rose was very protective of her work, but this was strange behavior even for her.

Nevertheless, feeling rather useless throughout her endeavor, Rooker groaned and then made an attempt to escape from his crimson carousal but quickly found himself wrapped in another protective layer of muscle. "It's fine, Rose, really. Forget about me, and I'll take care of the wound once we get your room tidied up and discuss what actually happened after I—"

The end of her tail shifted to cover his mouth, allowing her to close in and give him another aerial survey with her tongue.

[ Hush. If not me, then your trip to the surface must've reopened that wound, so let me be the one to take care of you. ]

Despite the added mess, it didn't take long for her to locate his medical bag from the previous night. With the necessary supplies in hand, the viper slowly maneuvered her disgruntled human up to the base of her tail, where a set of claws began to replace the bandages around his head.

"I didn't realize that you got all of your medical certifications ironed out while I was away," Rooker joked.

Rose guarded her face from him and then paused her work.

[ I may have had a special someone show me the ropes beforehand, despite my earlier reservations on the matter. Also, I'm quite fond of the idea of making up for my mistakes. ]

"Huh? We've been over this, Rose. It's water under the bridge. Also, I didn't know you had a special someone." He continued to poke fun at the viper's odd word choice and did his best to steer her away from last night's incident. "Perhaps you should introduce him to me sometime, maybe let him stay for dinner as well. After all, word around Terminus is that the human resistance managed to raid another Advent Burger processing plant."

Rose's excitement momentarily peaked at the mention of the word, as evident by the uncontrollable tail wiggles that she failed to suppress in the distance. However, her hood abruptly collapsed and she failed to hide a saddened expression from him. Rooker opened his mouth to comfort her, but Rose's hands shifted to cut him off.

[ You jest, but I can't remember the last time that I had an Advent burger. Some…humans have all the luck. ]

"I know," Rooker whispered as his own thoughts drifted to a darker place. However, such notions were brushed aside by a set of claws that double-checked his wrappings before lifting him back to his feet. He turned back to their owner, who looked to an inconsequential spot on the ground, no doubt in preparation for his own appraisal of her latest handiwork.

Rooker smiled. "I think that this has to be your best work yet." He stepped forward to wrap his hands around as much of Rose's waist as possible, well…the portion of tail that lay directly underneath it. "Thank you for taking care of me."

Though his response earned him a gentle coo and a short hug, the muscles around him tensed after contact. Upon release, he stepped away, only to find the serpent dip her wings and enter into another downward spiral.

[ I'm sorry that it still bothers you. If I hadn't acted out yesterday, maybe things would've ended differently. ]

The man shrugged. "Given all that has happened these past twenty-four hours, I probably deserved it."

Though Rose frowned at his assertion, her hands remained locked against each other in another attempt to hide her rising anxiety. However, the persistent locomotion of her wayward tail, and the way in which she now shifted her focus from the mound of blankets that he discovered earlier, to the destroyed pillow fortress, and then finally to a set of shelves closest to her bedside made his heart sink.

Ultimately, two sets of reptilian eyes stared back at them, though another pair was noticeably absent.

Rooker braced himself as Rose looked down at him, her anxiety deepening further. Though he was still in the dark as to what ultimately happened to her room, last night's events, her initial set of reactions to his presence, and David's untimely demise all painted a picture that could only be claimed by a single artist. He knew that they would have to climb the summit eventually and moved to speak, however, Rose chose to be the one to initiate them on that path.

[ It looks like you brought Julius back home to me as promised, but...David still appears to be missing. I recall him being present during all of this, and perhaps you saw him when you returned back home to me? ]

Again, the right words failed him, and at that moment, he wasn't sure if it was due to outright exhaustion or his continued desire to shield her from the ugly truths that came with life. Regardless, words eventually spilled out of his mouth, and he hoped that they'd be enough.

"I…actually did, but he's currently indisposed, so let's—"

[ Indisposed? Enough games, Rooker. Where is he? ]

Fear consumed the serpent as she began to frantically look around the room, brushing aside anything that blocked her path in a desperate attempt to locate the little red and white plushie. Though he felt terrible, he knew that seeing David now could completely ruin Rose's confidence in herself. There was something that went very wrong here, and they needed to address the elephant, well…serpent in the room first.

"You'll get the chance to see him later. Right now, I think it's best if we sit down and discuss your—"

After turning up nothing and ending up next to the wall closest to her other brothers, the viper pivoted her body to face him with a very different look across her maw, one that his body immediately recognized from the night before and instinctively reeled away from. He hated himself for doing so, because the repeated reaction, coupled with the mounting stress, finally pushed Rose over the edge, who made sure to let out a threatening hiss before choosing to address the intruder in her home with a menacing set of fangs.

[ I tried my best to overcome the episodes and find equal footing on the matter but was only left alone because of it. And you're proving to be no different than the one who came before you. So, where is he, where have you taken my little brother!? ]

As the pendulum swung back in full force and reached its apex, the serpent lifted her colossal tail off the ground, then slammed it with as much force as she could muster into the side of the cavern, shaking its foundation and causing Rooker to stumble and fall. Julius and Fangus followed suit as their weakened shelves finally gave out, the plushies' momentum carrying them towards the enraged viper's tail, which raised again and cast an extensive shadow over their defenseless forms.

Rooker forced himself back onto his elbows, ignoring the pain in order to address his ward.

"Gone, Rose. David…is gone. I wasn't here when it happened but found him shortly after I returned. And…all signs point toward you crushing him, either in your sleep or in anger, which based on how you're currently posturing yourself, I'd say that it was the latter."

[ No, you're lying like them. I would never harm David. He's my brother, and I love him! ]

"I know, Rose. But you're sick, unwell. Last night proved it and…" He motioned to the stuffed animals on the ground, "…you're now at risk of repeating it."

The serpent before him directed its attention onto Rose's surviving brothers, which were so much smaller than it currently was. It was also now in control of their fate, yet their familiarity proved inescapable and was enough to extinguish the fire in its eyes. However, unfortunately for Rose, reality once again hit her like a freight train and served to jog her memory.

[ I-I may have been asleep at the wheel, but it wasn't all just a horrible dream… ]

First, her shoulders slumped, then the rest of the viper collapsed, causing tremors to travel throughout her home as she chose to hide within her fortress of solitude and neglected to address the plushies that stood by her side through it all. And based on the steadily increasing wails that originated from within her organic prison, his worst fears were realized and she was currently in the process of giving up entirely.

In response, Rooker ran a shaky hand across his face before getting ahold of himself. Throughout the continued sounds of her anguish, he gazed across their home, noting an all too familiar, powder-wigged human, who remained upright and determined to cross the Delaware despite the frigid waters and an adversary that had tore through his ranks.

While she was resigned to her fate, he wasn't about to let her drown alone in foreign lands.

With that, the man placed himself in front of her old sanctuary, noting the single lantern that had survived its collapse. After retrieving a source of light, Rooker also salvaged a handful of pillows to assist him in his endeavor. Though temptation still dictated that he should be allowed to see what lay underneath the sketchpads hidden in the darkness, he suppressed the notion in favor of directing his light back to where it all started. From there, he made sure to prepare Julius and Fangus as well before clearing his throat to address their downtrodden sister, who remained hidden with her crimson coils.

"Rose, I know everything hurts and nothing makes sense right now, but you need to listen to me."

While Rose's inhuman wails only appeared to grow louder, he knew that she was listening.

"Whatever happened while I was away, dream or no dream, Julius, Fangus, and I are here for you and ready to listen. You can't...conquer these demons by yourself. After all, a wise woman once told me that those who hurt alone, hurt most."

The pained howls slowly diminished into choked murmurs as the coils shifted to allow for the viper to reposition herself within them. He appeared to be pulling through to her and hopefully now had her undivided attention.

"And it's as I said before, we're in this together until the end, girl…so do yourself a favor and let us in."

With that, the sea of scales parted and a striped snout presented itself to her remaining brothers, though it hadn't escaped the torrent of tears that washed away the petals lining her damaged hood. As expected, Rose looked completely beaten and broken.

"Mind if we join you?" he asked, gesturing to the line of plushies in front of him.

Despite her more recent actions, he was sure that if she were healthy and ever given the opportunity, she would come to be a great mother. Although, as the good doctor put it this morning, such a notion was likely never in the cards, and she was relegated to the stuffed animals that she'd come to rely on most.

In spite of everything, Rose paused to look at each of her brothers, ending up on him, and then allowed a powerful set of jaws to open, only to silently mouth a single, fragmented word that he was all too familiar with:

"pass-word."

The human nodded his head, remembering the phrase that they used whenever she felt the need to hide herself from the world.

"Anywhere you are is home."

The edges of her maw tilted upwards and a hoarse coo escaped its hold. Rooker returned the smile and then gathered up their little viper pit.

"I'll assume that's our green light. Now, if you don't mind, it's actually kinda cold out here," he finished with a shiver and a glance at the entrance to their home, which confirmed that Rose had in fact fiddled with the climate control settings since his departure—a cardinal sin as far as he was concerned, but one worth forgiving given the circumstances.

Naturally, Rose offered him an apologetic smile but neglected to sign anything, choosing instead to reach out to her little caretaker and guide him into the darkest depths of her coils. From there, she made sure to lean back against the organic wall and adjust the blanket across her chest. Rooker was then airlifted atop her shoulder alongside a pair of her favorite plushies, which soundly settled in his lap as he found warmth in the large sail that folded against his body. With everyone situated, the end of the serpent's tail sealed the door to their crimson fortress and came to balance a single lantern for which to guide its occupants through the darkness.

[—]

---

While it was far from the first time that Rooker found himself securely wound within a set of crimson coils, it always felt different when their owner actively chose to partake. In truth, the scales that walled them off from the rest of the world could very well terminate him from it, however, at that exact moment, the feeling of safety trumped all else.

It didn't take long for Rose to settle down and regain control over her breathing. With him once again perched on top of her wide shoulder and a pair of stuffed cobras buried in his lap, the serpent raised her hands to draw signs through the still air.

[ Why can't you be like the rest of them and just walk away? ]

It appeared as though Rose had unknowingly allowed another private thought to slip through her fingertips. Nevertheless, Rooker leaned further back into his comfortable perch and looked down to the large plushies wrapped in his arms.

"Because walking away means that I'd lose you, and that's something that I'm unwilling to accept. Besides…" The man released a rueful laugh, "…bad things tend to happen to you while I'm away."

His ward allowed a ghost of a smile to appear across her maw but continued with her downtrodden expression.

[ That...does appear to be the case. ]

Rooker silently nodded his head. "It happened again, didn't it?"

Rose released a powerful breath and then shifted a predatory eye his way, drinking in his features before resuming her signs.

[ As far as I'm aware, twice. Once while you were on the surface and again while…you know, you were right here to witness it in all of its glory, after all. ]

The viper looked to the ground in shame, however, Rooker responded with a supportive hand against the edge of her hood, eliciting a momentary purr from within the serpent before she turned back to him.

"What ultimately served to jumpstart these episodes? That is if you're ready to talk about them?"

She released another sigh and slowly nodded her head so as to not displace her caretaker.

[ Just like before, it's quite embarrassing. I was naïve and actively chose to go against your wishes by trying to be more independent, but it only served to blow up in my face. And afterwards…I guess that I was just so angry at the world for having sent another to reject me. And with you… ]

Rose allowed her large hood to further rub against his back as she shifted against her mass of coils.

[ I couldn't bear the thought of you breaking another promise to me and…lying straight to my face afterwards. The acute stress proved unbearable, even though I believed it to be nothing more than a fever dream. ]

Rooker took a moment to contemplate her last statement.

"Last night, you said that you felt like a passenger in your own body. But what you're suggesting now goes even a step further, where you're struggling to comprehend what's real and what only appears in your dreams. Does that sound about right?"

[ That is…correct. ]

Rose's caretaker smirked at the confirmation. "You like to take me hostage in your dreams?"

A sharp whine escaped her maw as the mask of scales tightened around her face. Her collapsed sail was also sent into a flutter.

[ What?! Of course not…don't be silly. I…uhm, those dreams only involve the occasional memory of when we played games in the past, like hide-and-seek and capture-the-human, nothing further. ]

Rooker laughed. "You mean when the 'powerful dragoness' required her bodyweight in hugs before allowing the 'tiny knight' to escape capture or to leave her queendom, hugs that were also required to be this big." The man took a moment to spread his arms as far as possible, brushing against the glyphs that dotted the scales beside him and mirroring Rose's past presentation of her unwavering demands. "Regardless, I'm pretty sure your earlier signs stated that you took me hostage after you panicked, which suggests that such events happened much, much closer to the present."

The viper blushed even harder and closed her eyes.

[ I-I would never tell a lie! You're clearly having issues with your vision again... ]

Rooker shook his head disapprovingly. "I can see just fine, Rose. Also, only Advent deals in absolutes."

Rose opened her eyes and prepared a response but stopped to release her own disapproving hiss, which was directed towards the blanket covering up her upper torso. She quickly adopted an annoyed expression, putting their conversation on hold while she attempted to rectify the situation.

"Trouble?" Rooker moved his feet out of the way to allow her to continue her efforts in earnest.

[ This blanket is just really itchy all of the sudden, and the fact that my bra finally decided to implode is making things that much worse. Also, I— ]

"You did what?!" He asked, feeling the heat of the lantern situated on Rose's tail finally reach his cheeks.

[ Oh! I actually signed that out in the open. Hehe, sorry… ]

"What? Rose, we…probably should've gotten that undergarment replaced a long time ago, so if anyone should be sorry, it's me. Uhm, it's just minor discomfort, right? You'll survive until I'm able to secure you a replacement?"

Rose allowed the blanket to shift and for one of her feminine assets to rest within an opened palm. She then gave the red mass an experimental adjustment, dragging his feet along with it and serving to direct additional heat onto his face. Unfortunately, the viper that he sat upon took notice and the edges of her lips tilted upward. However, the predatory look was hastily erased by another whimper. The clawed hands then lifted to address her caretaker.

[ Oof! I swear at this point nothing will fit me. Also, these stupid, oversized things are making me develop chronic back pain. ]

She made sure to give her industrial equipment another prod before letting her hands fall to her side in defeat. While true in a traditional sense, the seamstress that he'd come to rely on was adept at dealing with Rose's…sinuous figure. Unfortunately, his next trip to the Switchyard would be a rather complicated one, given that the woman's price would've surely gone up at this point. Also, he owed her a few favors that would not come easy. However, he would be remiss if Rose wasn't allowed to cover herself while she slithered about her enclosure, even more so if he truly intended for her to leave it one day.

Rooker silently looked the viper over. Perhaps additional sets of clothes were also in order, though again, simply procuring the material would be no easy task. With a decision made, he traced his eyes back to hers.

"Nonsense. Rose, they uhhh...fit you beautifully and it's just a matter of determining the right size undergarment to hold them. We'll...need to probably get some updated measurements, when you're ready of course." He hastily added in the last part, not wanting to force her into anything. Afterwards, the man internally sighed. After all, it used to be so easy to talk about such matters.

Despite the heavy blush and appreciative trill, Rose grimaced at the suggestion.

[ I don't want another scientist anywhere near my body. Also, they underestimated last time, and I was stuck with the fallout of their short-sidedness. ]

"Well, I'm certainly no expert on the matter, but I…could be the one to help you with those measurements," he offered, rubbing the back of his neck and transferring its heat to the viper's hood, which vibrated out of embarrassment. Though he expected an equally embarrassed response from its owner, after a brief pause, Rose allowed the edges of her maw to turn upward.

[ I'd actually like that very much... ]

She then allowed her eyes to narrow.

[ But you better not make jokes about them and overestimate at my expense. ]

Rooker laughed. "You're finally catching on to my evil plan to turn you into Jörmungandr and conquer the entire continent. Though…" He transferred his hand to his chin as he looked the giant viper over, "…I think that we're going to have to serve you up some more Advent burgers to help get you to that point."

Rose made sure to give him a scornful look but couldn't help but get distracted by one of her favorite words. In fact, it didn't take long for her to run a lengthy tongue against her lips at the thought of delicious burgers, though she hastily played it off with an annoyed pout.

[ A bald-faced lie. Besides, I'd have little use for a caretaker or a bra at that point, and you'd surely get lost trying to get such measurements. ]

The ferocity of Rose's deflection threw the pilot off guard and caused him to lose his balance, nosediving off her shoulder in the process. Thankfully, a clawed hand saved him from toppling over the blanket and guided him back onto his perch with plushies miraculously still in tow. Nevertheless, he must've been blushing like an idiot because the incessant sound of inhuman chortles immediately filled the area.

He grumbled through her momentary victory before choosing to roll out the heavy weaponry.

"What's so funny? You really think that I was joking about that last part?"

Rose's giggles ceased in an instant.

[ You…you were actually being serious? ]

"Why would I lie about something as serious as that?"

The serpentine patterns of light, which were created by the paper lantern, danced around them as the end of Rose's tail failed to suppress her mounting excitement.

"But...I guess if a certain, independent viper thinks herself too good for the likes of her caretaker, then I guess that I'll have to keep all of the pallets of burgers to my little-old self," he finished after running a finger across the wall of scales guarding his opposite side. Turning back, he held Julius up for added effect. "Or maybe I'll just share it with a viper who understands the importance of friendship."

He almost lost his composure, but somehow managed to keep up the act.

[ Y-You wouldn't dare! ]

"And maybe Fangus can eat all of the extra pickles as well, so I'm afraid that would leave you with just the onions."

Rose made sure to release another endearing whine before sticking out her tongue and adopting her best pouty face.

[ Not fair! Also, that wouldn't leave anything for... ]

A red eye shifted from Julius to Fangus and then hesitated. Sadly, their little game ended as quickly as it began as his comfortable backrest withered and the whimper that escaped from her maw took on a very different tone. Shit. Rooker remembered that Rose had the tendency to save all of her 'stupid' onions for a very specific plushie, who apparently loved them (an excuse for her not to eat them) and was no longer with them.

[ I didn't actually, you know, with David... ]

Though it seemed silly to continually mourn the loss of a stuffed animal, David was ultimately part of their little family, which was all Rose had while growing up. Coming to terms with the situation, he gently lowered Julius back to sit alongside Fangus and noted the serpentine shadows who watched over them in silence.

"I wasn't here when it happened, but I did encounter the aftermath, and…it does appear that way, Rose. Though, you claimed yourself to be a passenger in all this. Are you able to provide me with any further details of what you remember?"

He saw the gears turn inside of her head and noted the frown that found its way onto her maw.

[ First, answer me this: what happened on the surface? Just because I reapplied the bandages to the wound on your head, doesn't mean that your new ones have escaped my attention. Were you able to rescue the other humans…or was it just another thoughtless attempt at your life? ]

He matched her frown with one of his own, knowing full well what she was insinuating. "Rose, I know that you hate seeing me constantly put myself into the line of fire, but I do it to support you and to keep the supplies flowing. In that capacity, I go where I'm needed."

[ And if you're needed here more? ]

The man suddenly felt her hood curl inwards, pulling him deeper into its hold. Even after all these years, it never ceased to amaze him how much control she had over such aspects of her body.

"In a perfect world, I'd have never left, but that's not the hand that we were dealt."

Rose shifted her eyes off the little serpents that shimmered across her scales and directed her attention back to him.

[ You never answered my original question. ]

"We…were ambushed shortly after touchdown. I was immediately separated from the rest of the group as they moved in to extract the survivors, though I was eventually able to fight my way out and rendezvous with the others…" Rooker paused midway through. While he was willing to provide her with some information, the other heavily-augmented viper remained an enigma to him and he was not about to share such details with Rose until they had their ducks in a row and Adrian was interrogated over the matter. Also, the last thing that she needed was yet another stressor to potentially set her off. "But not everyone made it, and...I'm likely expected to reconvene with the major once those details are worked out in the background."

[ I see. And I suppose that means you'll be leaving, again. ]

"Not unless they force me to do so. Although, given everything that has happened, I think that the major is long overdue for a visit to our home."

The viper huffed at the thought.

[ So he can spout off another round of ideological insults and then banish me to a smaller cell? And that's assuming he's even in a forgiving mood, which given current events, is rather unlikely. ]

Rose released a great lungful of air, causing the light below them to momentarily flicker against the darkness. She then forced him to gaze into a set of red eyes.

[ Why do you continue to assist those who scorn and distain us? ]

The question gave him pause but words eventually found him. "Because in the end, I intend to prove them wrong about myself and more importantly you. You and I both know that humans are tenacious, but even the most stubborn of us can change given enough time."

Despite his best attempt to include her in his explanation, the viper looked back to her tail.

[ I just…wanted to be useful for a change, to help someone through their struggles instead of just being the giant snake that everyone hates. ]

Her use of past tense cued him in on the fact that she was reliving the events that occurred shortly after his departure. After a quick adjustment of the plushies in his lap, he leaned further into the mountain of muscle that guarded him against an uncaring world. Though his pulse inevitably quickened over the fact that he anticipated where the conversation was headed, he ultimately needed to know the truth.

"You noted earlier that you went against my wishes, I assume that means you left your room to assist someone, which if I had to guess, happened to be Adrian?"

Rose nodded her head, momentarily bobbing him up and down thanks to her hood.

[ At first, I remained inside the cave as instructed, working on another piece of artwork after…inspiration found me. However, a loud noise that sounded similar to a gunshot interrupted my work. After careful deliberation, I chose to investigate out of fear that you returned early and were in danger. I slithered towards the source of the noise, which ended up being the observation wing. ]

"Gunshot?" Rooker asked, unable to hide the shock in his voice. While it was true that he had hordes of weapons stashed throughout the enclosure, the only person who had access to the observation wing at that time would've been the very man who insisted that he remain within its confines. The question then was, what the hell was Adrian thinking?

"And you found Adrian shortly after?" he surmised. "Was he alright, and were you able to determine if there was any damage?"

[ By the time that I arrived, the door to the observation wing was left ajar and the doctor had disappeared. As you can probably guess, I was too big to properly assess the situation from the inside, though the sound of running water did concern me. Shortly after I sensed a shift in pheromones and followed them straight to Adrian, who collided with the base of my tail and…had another panic attack. ]

Rose made sure to dip her head in shame. Clearly, their initial confrontation didn't go as planned.

Nevertheless, Rooker nodded his head. "But you weren't able to return him to the observation wing, so you brought him here instead."

The viper turned her attention back to him.

[ I saw...genuine fear of my kind in his eyes and thought myself capable of finally befriending a human after showing him some carefully curated artwork and allowing him to remain within a pillow fortress for safety. David even assisted me on the matter, and…we eventually managed to get Adrian to leave his sanctuary. But… ]

Rose's shoulders drooped even further, sliding him against a secondary barrier of coils.

[ I made one stupid mistake, everything fell apart, and David faced the consequences of my actions. ]

A fresh stream of tears began to collect within the reptilian slits, and the wind finally fell from her sail and buried him in its wake.

"Hey, hey…" He propped the hood back into position and then shimmied his way back up her shoulder to filter the water from her eyes with a steady hand, "…it's okay, remember that we're in this together, and I promise to remain by your side through your recovery. Furthermore, I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that you get to see David again—we can fix him."

[ But what if we can't fix me? ]

"Nonsense, I'm sure that with time, Adrian—"

[ Don't you understand, Rooker? After seeing my slipup, he chose to walk away. And the worst part of the entire situation is that…I don't blame Adrian for leaving with the other humans. Upon further reflection, I was angry with myself and the other man who left me lying in a pool of my own venom. ]

"Wait. Adrian is gone?"

Rooker remembered the soaked pile of blankets and the dots finally connected in his head. It was clear that the scientists decided to pay Rose another visit, slinking in amidst the chaos without him there to protect her and driving her into another episode. All this could've been prevented and once again, they were to blame.

He allowed his own anger to creep its way onto his face, releasing a powerful growl that caused even the fortress of scales to shudder in place.

"Do you recall which humans Adrian was with before you lost control?"

Rose addressed him momentarily but then succumbed to another wave of apprehension.

[ I do, but I fear that if I tell you outright, you'll leave me in another hopeless pursuit to fix something that isn't meant to be fixed. ]

Rooker's emotions got the better of him. "And if that someone happens to be you? You better believe that I'm going to fight however I can if it means that we end up finding a cure. You deserve everything, and I'm not going to stand idly by and watch our home continue to fall apart at the seams!"

With that, the caretaker moved to stand but was forced back into his seat by a hand the size of his torso. The lantern beneath them then settled to the ground and a winding appendage snaked its way around his legs, locking him in place to allow her hand the necessary freedom to safely transition the plushies out of his lap and continue their mounting argument.

[ You're hurt and require rest. Besides, you'll do more harm than good if you impulsively pursue him in this state. Believe me, I learned that lesson the hard way... ]

Rooker tried his best to block out the pain. While the rational side of his brain knew that she was right, the other half refused to cede any ground over the matter. "Come on, Rose, you're not my mother. You need to let me go so that I can help you heal. Also, I promised Katarina earlier that I'd look after him."

[ And you promised to remain by my side until I've recovered, and you now need to do the same. Furthermore, if the captain wanted him so badly, then she should've watched over him herself. You owe that monster nothing, not after she took everything from you. ]

"But we need him!" he shouted in desperation as her heavy coils further closed around him and brought his towards a determined set of eyes.

[ And I need you, so please…just stay and let me help you heal. Knowing the man who took him, his cruelty is only matched by the need to outline his brilliance. Adrian will be safe for now, and I'm sure that he's not far away. ]

Though Rooker's anger cooled and his struggles ceased, the steam that propagated from his lips formulated into a single, sharpened word:

"Hoffman."

Rose nodded, loosening her hold before gently assisting him back to his perch. The sound of silence ruled over their home as both looked upon the serpentine shadows and alien glyphs that were painted across her crimson wall. Eventually, the clawed hands raised and Rose addressed her caretaker.

[ Despite the rejection, Adrian…did offer me comfort before leaving with the others. He's nothing like Hoffman and…there may yet be a chance to convince him. ]

Rooker sighed, propping himself up against the side of her face and rubbing the underside of her sizable muzzle, which produced a series of deep purrs that sent tremors across his back. "Which is why we need to act now to prevent him from slipping through our grasp."

[ And do what? Hold him against his will, again. Adrian isn't like them but he surely doesn't respond well to displays of force with no way out. Maybe...it's best if we let him see what Hoffman has to offer and then swoop in to suggest another change of scenery? During our conversation, it was clear that there are dark memories that force him to act a certain way while around...my kind. However, before my slipup, I was close to getting through to him. I could see it in his eyes, and he...even offered me some advice before Hoffman stepped in to rescue him from the serpent living within these walls. ]

Rooker's muscles finally gave out and he responded in kind, knowing that once again, Rose was right in the end. "Okay girl, you win. I'll...wait a little longer."

A gentle coo escaped her maw and was followed by a soft nuzzle, which nudged him back against her hood.

"But I do so wonder what kind of advice Adrian offered you prior to his departure..."

Rose's muzzle tightened once more, forcing his hands rearward as the scales beneath him warmed.

[ L-Let's just say that our conversation made me realize that I need to do a better job of looking after you. ]

Despite his earlier reservations, the thought did bring a warm smile to his face. "Oh? Did he now…and how exactly do you plan to do that?"

Rose's crimson eyes shifted off him to appraise the entire length of her body, starting with her wide torso and traveling all the way to its sinuous tip. A forked tongue shot out as well, inspecting the air around them before retracting into a growing smile of her own, one that he didn't like one bit.

[ I believe that someone is long overdue for a bath. ]

[—]

---

Closing Notes:

With everyone officially back at Terminus, I do so wonder what kind of shenanigans will transpire throughout the second act? ;)

While I won't offer specifics as to what ultimately spurred certain literary decisions within this chapter, know that if you're ever feeling lost or in the process of giving up entirely, chances are that there's someone close by who's willing to listen and walk (or slither) alongside you. Stay safe people, and don't let your brain fool you into thinking that others are incapable of shouldering your burdens.

Please expect delays to continue throughout the summer, and constructive criticism is always appreciated!